Preying on lawyers

8 March 2018

A couple of new visitors caused a flutter in legal London this morning, with the arrival of two Harris's hawks. The birds of prey have been drafted into service at New Square, just round the back of the Royal Courts of Justice, to help deal with the pigeons and seagulls that have taken a fancy to the resplendent surroundings.

Barristers will not have to face dismembered corpses on their way to chambers: the hawks are trained to scare away unwanted visitors rather than anything more gruesome. 'If you saw a bloke with a hammer standing next to a cashpoint, you'd probably go on to the next one,' one expert tells Obiter,  'Pigeons and seagulls think the same way about bigger birds.'

We understand the pair will be on duty throughout the summer, so catch a glimpse if you're in town.
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